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Black Truffle Project

Why Truffles?

In the last 100 years, the supplies of Black Périgord Truffles (Tuber melanosporum) have dramatically decreased, yet demand amongst chefs and epicures remains justifiably strong. Characterized by their subtle and deceptively complex aroma and earthy flavor, black truffles are exceptionally valuable and are often referred to as “Black Diamonds”.

There is an increasing demand for black truffles from the booming canning industry – selling everything from truffle oil to truffle paté to the Gourmet Chef Market; this is additional to the fine-dining restaurant sector which demands the highest quality truffles in cities such as London, Paris and New York. In the last 30 years, supply has moved from the wild to cultivated production and black truffles are now the most valuable of of all cultivable truffles.

Black Périgord Truffles – The Product

The Black Périgord truffle, or tuber melanosporum to give it its correct title, is named after the southern French region famed for producing the aromatic – and much-sought after – fungi for more than a century. Such is the high value of the black truffle, it is ‘brokered’ in the marketplace by a truffle-broker – not sold – rather like other high-value investments, such as stocks and shares are. Indeed, recently brokered unblemished ‘icon’ black truffles have been changing hands for a minimum of €850 per kilo (wholesale). Many truffle farmers, understandably, are very wary of giving the exact location of their trufferies and have installed state-of-the-art surveillance equipment to protect their precious product.

Why Spain?

The home of GWD Forestry’s exciting investment project, the Black Périgord Truffle, sits In the heart of the beautiful Iberian Peninsula. The soil in this region is particularly receptive to the holm oak tree, which is ideal for cultivating premium quality black truffles (Tuber melanosporum), and according to media sources, the area is well on the way to becoming the truffle capital of the world; and, due to France and Italy’s poor black truffle harvests, Spain’s black truffle industry has begun to benefit enormously, with almost all – approximately 40 tonnes, or 70% – of the global production being grown, harvested and transported across the border from Spain into France. The truffles are then sold on to the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and beyond.

GWD BLACK PERIGORD TRUFFLE PROJECT | Please complete the form below if you would like to receive GWD’s Black Perigord Truffle brochure.